House Review: Acafellas Part 2, Please!

The marriage theme continues this week as the episode opens with a lady, Nicole, getting ready to walk down the aisle and marry her boyfriend, Ted. The wedding turns out to be a bride’s worst nightmare when her hubby-to-be loses his ability to speak and passes out midway through the ceremony.

House is having some problems of his own, though. Since going to rehab and treating his addiction to Vicodin, House has found comfort in his friendship with Wilson. Now that Wilson is diverting all his attention to new girlfriend, Sara, House is feeling left out. So what does he turn to? The booze! If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

Ted the patient displays some of the most bizarre yet interesting symptoms I’ve seen on the show. He loses his ability to speak, but then it miraculously returns; he has a heart attack at 27 years old; he passes out when he tries to sit up; and he starts lactating – yes, like a woman!

And like all good patients on House, Ted has a secret past. Before meeting Nicole, he had a boyfriend. It was a pretty serious relationship too that went on for three years. Somewhere along the way, Ted thought what he was doing was “wrong,” so he went to a conversion camp to become straight. They injected him with male hormones, did electroshock therapy and the whole nine yards. Maybe Ted thinks the therapy worked, but he’s only fooling himself.

Nicole finds out about Ted’s past when his ex-boyfriend, Cotter, comes to the hospital for a visit. All the details come to light, and Nicole has to make a tough decision: does she stay with Ted or move on? I guess Ted’s illness was a sort of blessing in disguise! Had she gone through with the marriage, I don’t think either of them would have been truly happy.

Ted’s illness was actually something he was born with called Chiari Malformation – a narrowing in the base of his skull. The shock treatment he received at the conversion camp caused his head to swell and cut off regular brain functions. Ted is cured with the surgery, but he’s still got a lot to figure out personally.

Meanwhile, Wilson feels bad for neglecting House so much. He (bribes) the other team members to take him out to dinner. As they say, money speaks! Taub takes House to a traditional restaurant, Thirteen to a lesbian bar, and Foreman and Chase bring him to a karaoke bar. House has somewhat of a fun time with Foreman and Chase and they perform a rousing rendition of Midnight Train to Georgia. I absolutely loved it! Those three need to create a group like the Acafellas.

Cuddy also comes to ask him out to dinner, but she does it on her own free will. No bribes from Wilson involved! House declines the invitation. Cuddy says tells him she just wants them to be friends, but House replies with: “Funny, it’s the last thing I want us to be.” Sigh. Oh House, you break my heart.

For another thoughtful take on this episode, read Time Well-Spent At Dr. Liberace’s He-Man Quackery Camp by Cameron Cubbison.

Season 6, Episode 19: The Choice (originally aired May 3, 2010)

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Mondays 8/7c on FOX

Photographs courtesy of NBC Universal and IMDbPro.